The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has come under fire for spending nearly half a million pounds in one year on exit payments for senior staff, a sum condemned by a councillor as “a completely shocking waste of public money.”
In the 2024/25 financial year, WECA paid out £475,713 in exit packages, including substantial settlements to three directors and other senior staff departures. These figures were revealed by external auditors Grant Thornton in their interim annual report, while WECA’s own accounts recorded £441,000 for five exit payments.
At a WECA audit committee meeting on September 15, Jonathan Hucker, Conservative councillor for Bristol City Council’s Stockwood ward, criticized the payouts, stating: “I think the auditors’ report understates the seriousness of the crisis that has engulfed the organisation. It is an absolutely huge amount of money and I think it’s a completely shocking waste of public money.” He equated the amount spent on exit packages to the income tax paid annually by 110 average earners and called the expenditure “a disgrace and a public scandal.”
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Grant Thornton defended the payments as part of “attempts to stabilise the organisation,” describing them as “reasonable in context.” However, the report cautioned that such payouts were “not reflective of good value for money in general terms.” Hucker challenged this stance, questioning why the payments were deemed reasonable given the report indicated no grounds for dismissal based on poor performance. The auditors maintained their position but cited “sensitivities” preventing further details and noted governance at WECA was “not effective” during 2024/25.
The combined authority comprises Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, and South Gloucestershire Council. In March 2024, the government issued WECA a “best value notice,” demanding improvements in governance and officer-politician relationships. The authority’s meetings had previously featured significant tension, including a council leaders’ boycott in 2021. While the notice was lifted in 2024, just before local elections brought Helen Godwin (Labour) to the mayoralty, the auditor’s report still rated governance as “red” for the year, indicating “significant weaknesses” remain.
Former junior local government minister Stephen Williams (Liberal Democrat, Bristol City Council) described the ongoing governance issues as “pretty serious,” emphasizing the significance of the red rating after eight and a half years of the authority’s existence.
In response, WECA’s director of finance, investments, and commercial referred to the report as “positive,” appreciating the lifting of historic statutory recommendations and affirming acceptance of newly proposed ones.
An objection to the interim audit report was acknowledged and accepted by the auditors. The final external audit for 2024/25 is expected to be presented at a forthcoming audit committee meeting.
The report also reflected on political dynamics, noting that the appointment of Liberal Democrat Kevin Guy as deputy mayor under Helen Godwin marked a “significant step” in improving political relations. It further acknowledged that relations had started improving toward the end of Dan Norris’s mayoral tenure, with fewer disruptions during committee meetings.
Notably, Dan Norris was arrested in April 2025 on serious allegations including sexual offences and remains on police bail pending investigation. He had already stepped down from contesting the 2025 mayoral election to serve as MP for North East Somerset and Hanham and was suspended from the Labour Party after his arrest.